The spectacularly popular online comic strip The Order of the Stick and its parent company, Giant in the Playground Games, is now relying on Paizo Publishing to handle distribution of the company's print products. And as long as OOTS creator Rich Burlew is getting involved with Paizo, it seems only natural that Dragon will benefit from the arrangement. Starting with issue 338 in late November, Dragon will contain new, stand-alone "mini-stories featuring the characters from the online comic." Also of note is the reminder (in the press release, below) that Burlew was runner-up in WotC's setting search contest (you know, the one that resulted in Keith Baker's Eberron), and the coy mention of plans in the works for other gaming products from his company.

Y'all gave us a lot to talk about last week, and talk we did, for 50 minutes of goodness. The sound is still a little wonky but there aren't any irritating artifacts this time. Thanks for your patience on that front. Leave comments here on our requested topics or others, and we might discuss them on the show if they're up before, um, we record tomorrow night. (Seriously, we do have a technique on deck that will greatly increase our response time and sound quality.)

I'm just teasing, of course - the game really needs these and I'm psyched for them on some level despite being a non-player - but it's not as if there was much doubt they'd do this eventually, given the buzz about the AT-AT. Yes, a Black Dragon with a 4x4" base will hit in June of 2006, followed in (when else?) August by a 6x6"-based Red Dragon. The line of non-collectible big-atures is called Dungeons and Dragons Icons. Wasn't there a bad Hasbro Interactive game by that name at one point? Anyway, we'll let you know when pictures show up. Click on through to the other side for the press release.

In case the warning hasn't reached you yet, here it is: the sequel to the Dungeons & Dragons movie exists, and is nearly upon us. Hide your loved ones, and beware the Sci Fi Channel on the evening of October 8th, as that is when Dungeons & Dragons II: Wrath of the Dragon God will manifest fully for any brave enough to witness its arrival. Here's the description from the SciFi.com website:

Five heroes undertake a quest to prevent the rise of a dragon god and an evil sorceror. Mark Dymond (the James Bond film Die Another Day), Bruce Payne (reprising his role as Damodar from the original Dungeons & Dragons) and Clemency Burton-Hill (the upcoming miniseries Supernova) star in this fantasy epic.

Will it be as terrible as the first movie? Maybe, maybe not. But just in case, I'd get those Remove Curse spells readied... and maybe a Consecrate as well... or Regenerate, for those eyes you may gouge out...

Our reviewers are hard at work evaluating game materials so you don't have to. This time, Justin tells us about Beginnings: Westbrook from 3am Games. And I've finally gotten around to posting Demian's thoughts on The Stars Are Right, one of this year's revised Call of Cthulhu releases from Chaosium.

This week's program, or possibly last week's, is interactive. That's right; tell us what you think in the comments of this post right here. You'll have to listen for more details, as well as the sad tale of my capitulation to the siren call of Warmachine, Chris' current theories on the roleplaying market, and our reviews of a few recent big splashes. Hit it, maestro!

Are you into darkly humorous card games? Are you into stick figures? Are you confused yet? What I'm getting at is Atlas Games' October release, Let's Kill: Second Edition, a gruesome little game that indulges your inner axe murderer. Players gain fame by killing off annoying people (cheerleaders, beatnicks... you know the sort) in creative ways. The game's cards, such as "Sniper Rifle, Clocktower, and a Box of Oreos," aren't for children or the easily offended, which the artwork can still achieve despite being black & white stick figure scenes with the occasional slash of red. Our copy of the game's original release, then from Sancho Games, is one of my wife's all-time favorites, proving once and for all that I married the right gal. Atlas will sell the revised, updated Let's Kill for $19.95.

02:03 PM: Demian Katz says...Possibly the best title since The Penguin Ultimatum...

It's free game of the month time at Invisible City, and they've come up with a memorable title if nothing else. Uncontrolled Squid is a game for two teams, and the basic rules are so simple that they can be summarized in a couple of sentences. Every player starts with a full suit of standard playing cards. Each turn, without discussion, every player on each team plays a card face down. They're revealed simultaneously, and whoever plays the highest card wins the round, unless there's a tie, in which case the lowest card wins the round. The rest is down to psychology and group dynamics. Of course, there are multiple variants to make things more complex. As always, the dollar-to-enjoyment ratio promises to be high.

As the game is on the verge of being available in stores (printed and shipping, reportedly), Margaret Weis.com has posted a Serenity RPG Q&A. I just saw my first TV commercial for the movie, opening on September 30, earlier today. Looks pretty damn good to me. Combine that with nearly 1,000 advance copies of the book already sold through Gen Con Indy and DragonCon, all signs point to the Serenity game hitting the ground running.

Avalon Hill has started turning the crank on their little board-game-marketing machine, giving us box and board-element pics plus some rules for Vegas Showdown. I visualize the board-game marketing machine as looking a bit like the dice tower from the old Parker Brothers game The Inventors, and as having cost $24.95 at Wal-Mart. Seriously, am I just tired of waiting for games, or is this marketing method of AH's feeling dry and stale?

At GenCon, we taped, but didn't post, a long coda to Peter Adkison's con-focused press conference. It was by a representative of the Indianapolis Convention Center, announcing the big plans to start expanding the center, virtually right after GenCon closed up. Well, apparently they aren't gonna be done by next year. Where might they head? If Indy's too small, Chicago's the only reasonable choice in the area, in which they've said they'll stay. That might change up the dates. (That's just speculation, you monkeys!) Interesting times. [UPDATE: Indy is the place in 2006; such is the official word in the comments.]

The world of Yrth is getting a makeover for GURPS Fourth Edition, and Steve Jackson Games is footing the bill. The sidebar of the GURPS Banestorm webpage links to new preview downloads, giving gamers an idea of what the updated setting will provide. Written by Phil Masters and Jonathan Woodward, the 240-page hardback draws upon material from GURPS Fantasy, GURPS Fantasy Adventures, and Third Edition, and includes a full color map. Currently at the printer, GURPS Banestorm should be available in stores real soon.